depreciate

/dɪˈpriʃieɪt/

/dɪˈpriʃieɪt/

Other forms: depreciated; depreciating; depreciates

Something depreciates when it loses value. If you bought shares of a company for $10 each a year ago and now they’re worth $1 each, guess what: they have depreciated.

One of the most frustrating things about buying a car is the way it loses value. As soon as you drive it off the lot, your new car has already depreciated by several thousand dollars. Though usually used like this as a financial term, depreciate can also be used as the similar-sounding but unrelated word deprecate meaning "to belittle, lower in esteem." Your teachers should not depreciate you just because you don't always know the answers to their questions!

Definitions of depreciate

1. verb

   lose in value
   “The dollar depreciated again”

   synonyms: devaluate, devalue, undervalue

   antonyms:

   appreciate

   gain in value

   appreciate, apprise, apprize

   increase the value of

   type of:

   decrease, diminish, fall, lessen

   decrease in size, extent, or range
2. verb

   lower the value of something
   “The Fed depreciated the dollar once again”

   synonyms:

   devaluate, devalue, undervalue

   lose in value

   antonyms:

   appreciate

   increase the value of

   appreciate, apprise, apprize, revalue

   gain in value

   types:

   expense, write down, write off

   reduce the estimated value of something

   type of:

   devalue

   lower the value or quality of
3. verb

   belittle
   synonyms: deprecate, vilipend

   types:

   deflate, puncture

   reduce or lessen the size or importance of

   type of:

   belittle, disparage, pick at

   express a negative opinion of